Recoil-operated gun.



J. THEOPANIDIS.

REGOIL OPERATED GUN.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 4, 1908.

Patented Feb. 9, 1915.

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REGOIL OPERATED GUN. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 4, 1908.

Patented Feb. 9,1915.

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W/ITN ESSES J. THEOJEANIDIS. 1120011, OPERAT-ED GUN.

APPLIOATION FILED JUNE4,1908.

Patented Feb. 9, 1915.

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I INVENTEIIRI wA-ITEI NEY MATNESSES' J. THEOPANIDIS. REGOIL OPERATED GUN. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 4, 1908.

MTNESSES ing in a rotating flywheel for the purpose J HON THEOFANIDIS,IOF ATHENS, GREECE.

BEGOIL-OIPERATED G'U'lfl'v To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, J HON THorAnmIs. captain, professor at the naval school, a subject of the King of Greece,'residing at 18 Herodotos street, Athens, Greece, have invented certain new and useful Improve the momentum of the barrel when moving forward or recoiling is accumulated in a flywheel mounted on the carriage and then used for carrying outthe separate operations.

The difliculty hitherto in solving the problem of working a gun automatically was to find the power with which to operate the mechanism. There was also the need of finding means by which the successive working of the different parts of the gun, namely the rammer, the breech opening, the magazine, the ammunition car, and the trigger that have hitherto been performed by hand by the guns crew, could be done automatically with precision and without danger, and w-herebyalso the speed of the automatic mechanism could be changed without altering the moving power.

By my invention I store up or accumulate the power of the recoil of the gun when firof working the extractor and rammer, for

operating the breech screw, the ammunition car and the trigger for firing.

Figure 1 is a view partly in end elevation and partly in vertical section showing the arrangement for operating the fly wheel from the gun barrel; Fig. 2 is a detail sec I tion, viewed from below, of part of the gearing illustrated in Fig. 1, showing the ratchet and pawl device; Fig. 3 is a detail section, in plan, showing another part of the gearing illustrated in Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a plan view of the rear end of the gun barrel and the parts operated thereby; Figs. 5 and 6 are detail views of the cams by which the cartridge-- placing devices are controlled; Fig. 7 is an elevation of the mechanism for driving the cartridge feeding Wheel; Fig. 8 is a detail plan view of a part of the mechanism shown in. Fig. 7; Fig. 9 is a diagrammatic view of the cycle of movement; Fig. 10 is an eleva tion of the cartridge-handling devices; Fig. 11 is an elevation of a gun having the invention assembled therewith.

The gun barrel lafter the shot is fired slidesback in the ordinary way in the sleeve or jacket 2, the energy of the recoil being absorbed by a brake, and is then again moved forward by a spring which throws it forward, the said brake and spring being omitted from the drawing for the sake of clearness as they are well known and form no part of my invention; On the right hand side the barrel 1 is provided with a longitudinal rack bar or teeth 3. On the same side a vertical shaft 4 is mounted which carries at its lower end a horizontally .disposed flywheel 5, the shaft receiving motion directly from the gun barrel through a pinion 6 mounted centrally on the shaft and meshing with the tCk bar or teeth 3 on the barrel. In order to overcome the jar or shock in the gearing due to the vibration under firing or the change in the direction of travel of the moving member, one element of the gearing has a yieldable connection with the member on which it is mounted. I have illustrated the pinion 6 so connected. In the arrangement shown, the pinion 6 is loosely mounted on the shaft 4 and to its upper and lower faces are secured the ends of springs 7, which are coiled around the shaft but out of contact therewith. The ends of the springs away from the pinion 6 are each secured to a disk 9 which 1s loosely mounted on the shaft 4 and carries pins 10 on which are pivoted pawls 11 which are Patented Feb. 9,1915. Application filed June 4. 1908. Serial No. 486,609.

held by springs .12 in engagement with ratchet teeth 13 formed on or secured rigidly to the shaft 4.

When the disk 9 rotates to the right, (1n looking at the arrangement from above), the shaft '4 is forced by the engagement of the pawls 11 to share in this movement, but if the movement takes place in the reverse direction, the pawls 11 slip over the teeth l 3 without operating the shaft 4:- On the recoil of the barrel the pinion 6 isrotated to the left, the shaft 4 remains at rest, whileon the forward movement of the gun, the pinion 6 rotates to the right, and by means of the wardmovement ended-the shaft' t can rotate further under the im ctus of the fiy-. wheel and perform work. he arrangement may of course be made in such a way that.

the necessary energy is imparted to the flywheel during the recoil. The impetus of the flywheel 5 is transmitted to a. second, counter or operating, shaft 14. For this purpose the shaft 4 carries a cogwheel 15 which meshes with a cogwheel 16 on the shaft 14 which is mounted on the same side of the carriage as the shaft 4. The cogwheel 16 has a mutilated portion within which the wheel 15 lies when the gun is at rest and until, on the firing of the gun, the wheels are brought into mesh as will be presently set forth. When thebarrel moves forward, the shaft 14 is rotated by means of the cog wheels 15 and 16 and executes the several functions, until the teeth again come out of engagement, and the shaft 14 is stopped or arrested by a checking device. The mode of action of the shaft 14 is shown diagrammatically in Fig. 9. The wholecircle represents one revolution of the shaft. During the first angle a 0 I) described by the shaft a shell is brought to a loading table by a feeding mechanism arranged at the side. Then, during the second angle 6 o c of rotation, the loading table is-so displaced that the axis of the shell is caused to lie in the axis of the barrel. In. the third which is represented by the angle 0 0 d a rammer inserts the shot into the loading chamber and moves back again immediately during the fourth angle at 0 e of rotation, whereupon in the fifth period a 0 f the loadmg table moves back again to its place under the feeding mechanism. While the rammer and loading table are returning to their place the breech is closed in the usual manner. Finally, when the shaft has descrlbed the angle 7 o a the charge of the gun is fired. The small angle f 0- a corresponds to the part of thetoothed wheel 16 on which the teeth are wanting. The shaft 14 will thus herecease its movement.

e operation in firing the gun is as follows: Assoon as the shot is fired, the barrel 1 recoils and thereby opens the breech automatically in the ordinary manner, the breech crank being forced outwardly by the. engagement of its pin 17 in a curved roove 18 on the carriage (Fig. 4). Then t e breech 1s opened, the emptyshell is expelled by the ejector and the breech-closing spring is put under compressionin order to close the breech after the insertion of' the fresh charge as will be understood. On theibarrel of the gun moving-forward, impetus is imparted'to the flywheel 5 in the manner. hereinbefore described, so that it can perform work. At the side of the barrel 1 above the teeth or rack bar- 3, a lug 19 (Figs. 7 Hi8) is provided, which before the barrel period,

reaches its position of repose encounters a double lever 21 which is mounted on the carriage and is retained or held fast by a torsion spring 20, in the The second arm of the double lever 21 bears against a projection 22 on the shaft 14 and conse quently turns said shaft, until the first tooth 23 of the toothed wheel 16 comes into engagement with the pinion 15. In order that no fracture may take place, the tooth 23 is arranged so as to be radially displaceable againstthe pressure of a spring 24 (Fig. 3). It will accordingly, when it is encountered by the head or the flank of a tooth of the pinion 15, spring back or recoil and as soon as it reaches the next interval between the teeth of the pinion. 15, again spring forward. As soon as the tooth 23 however has found a tooth interval, the shaft 14 will rotate um The feeding mechanism is located at the side at the rear end of the barrel, and is shown in Fig. 10 in section seen from the rear side. A longitudinally notched or grooved drum or cylinder 25 is revolubly mounted in a sleeve or casing 24, secured horizontally upon the carriage, the shots or shells being carried in the longitudinal grooves of the drum. At the front end, the drum or cylinder 25 has a row of pins 26 corresponding to the number of the recesses. .As shown in Fig. 7, there are always two of these pins 26 in engagement with an annular shoulder or ring 27 of the operating shaft 14. The shoulder or ring 27 1s spiral in form on a portion of its periphery corresponding to the .angle a 0 b of Fig. 9. The pitch measured over these arches or curved parts amounts to as much as the division of the pins 26. Accordingly at one revolution of the shaft 14, the drum or cylinder is turned to the extent of one division to the angle a o b and then remains stationary until the shaft 14 has completed an entire revolution. On the drum turning, a shell drops, as shown in Fig. 10, onto the loadin table 28. Simultaneously a fresh shell rops from the loading trough. 29, which is arranged at the side of the drum, into the empty recess of the drum, which comes in front of said trough. The drum will accordingly always be filled afresh so long as there are shells inthe loading trough 29.

In order to facilitate the initial filling of the feeding drum, the casing 24is provided with alid or coyerBO which may be turned up to expose the grooves of the drum as will be readily understoodj The. countershaft. 14. is provided with a crank arm 31 which engages a canr 32 journaled on. a pin 33 .on the carriage, and a. lever 34 extends from the said cam and carries a pin 35 at its free end which extends upward position shown in Fig.- 8, and thereby actuates said lever.

formly under the action of the flywheel.

through a curved slot in the carriage and engages the loading table 28 so that the movement of the cam will be imparted to the table and the said table carried to a position in front of the breech aperture, held there for an interval, and then returned to its initial position to receive another shell. The cam 32 is curved on its first part fromg-h, corresponding to the angle f 0 a of Fig. 9,'in an arc of a circle which will be concentric with the shaft 14, when'the parts are in the position shown in full lines in Fig. 6, so that no movement of the cam occurs while the crank 31 passes from the point 9 to the point h but when the crank passes from the point it to the point 2' it will ride against the rim of the cam and force the same outward to the position shown in dotted lines. in Fig. 6. The angle of turning from k to a corresponds with the angle 6 o a of Fig. 9. Precisely similarly in the further turning from i to k (corresponding to the angle 0 o e of Fig. 9), the cam" piece 32 will remain stationary, and then in the rotation from k to 7 willagain return at g to its initial position.v The lever 34 will, of course, follow the movement of the cam and will accordingly first leave the loading table in its initial position, then brin it in front of the breech aperture, leave itthere some time, and then again return to its initial position. The interval during which the loading table 28 lies in front of the breech aperture must be utilized for pushing the shell into the loading chamber. For this purpose a second crank 36 is provided on' the shaft 14, which crank acts in conjunction with a cam 37 of the form shown in Fig. 5. The major part of this cam 37 is concentric with the shaft 14 while the remaining portion is straight so that when -the crank 36 in its rotation passes across the said straight portion it will move the cam out to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 5 and then immediately back to theposition shownin full lines. The period of movement of the cam 37 corresponds exactly to the interval during which the loading table 28 stands in front of the breech aperture. The movement of the cam is transmitted by the intermediate rod 38 to the double lever 39, 40, mounted on a projection of the carriage and allows this lever to swing out (Fig. 4). A sleeve 41 is journa-ledin the carnage by means of a depending pin 42 (Figs. 4 and 10). In this sleeve, a rod 43, which is pivotally attached to the rammer 44, is slidably mounted and embraces the pivot pin 45 depending from the rammer by means of a bush or socket 46. The rammer is so guided in the loading table 28, that it" can have movement thereon only in thedirection of the axis of mounted on the rod 43 and is provided with a depending guide pin 48 on which the longer part 40 of the double lever hereinbefore mentioned, acts through the intermediary of a drawbar 49. The pin 48 is guided in a groove 50 of the carriage, which groove in one part runs in 'an arc of a circle, which is drawn about the connecting pin 5.1 of the lever 40 and the drawbar 49, in such a way that the rammer or loader 44, the rod 43:; and the sleeve 47, can follow the movement of the loading table 28 to the side without exerting a back action on the other gearing. guide is straig t, so that in the oscillating movement of the lever- 40, produced by the cam 37 the sleeve moves to and fro parallel with the .axis of the barrel. The rod 43 will thus swing about the fixed point of .ment of the rainmer, the breech is closed.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I .claim is:

1. In an automatic gun, the combination, with a recoil operated element, of gun operating mechanism including a power storing device, and transmission means arranged to transmit power from said recoil operated element during its counter recoil to said gun operating mechanism, whereby the latter is set in motion and power is stored in said power storing device, said transmission means being also arranged to permit the gun operating mechanism to continue its movement independently of therecoil opthe erated element after counter recoil of latter has ceased.

2. In an automatic gun, the combination, with a reciprocatory barrel, of gun operating mechanism including a power storing device, and'transmission means arranged to transmit power from said barrel during counter recoil thereof to said gun operating mechanism, whereby the latter is set in motion andpower is stored insaid power storing device, said transmission means being; also arranged to permit the gun operating mechanism to continue its movement independently of the barrel after counter recoil of the latter has ceased.

3, In an automatic gun, a recoil operated element, gun operating mechanism, gearing between themoperative during counter recoil only to set said mechanism in motion,

The other part of this andmeans in said, mechanism adapted tov continue the movement thereof after counter recoil has ceased.

4.- In an automatic gun in which the barrel recoils through the casing, gun operating mechanism mounted on the casing, gearing between said mechanism and barrel operative during counter recoil only to set said mechanism in motion, and a fly wheel in said mechanism adapted to continue the movement thereof after the barrel is stationary.

5, In an automatic gun, the combination, of a reciprocatory discharge-driven element having a discharge movement and a move ment counter thereto, loading mechanism out of gear with the discharge-driven element during its discharge-driven movement, and means to connect up the loading mechanism with the discharge-driven element during its counter movement only.

6. In an automatic gun having a recoiling barrel, the combination of a power-storing device operated directly by the barrel during counter recoil only, loading mechanism, a driving connection between the power storing, device and the loading mechanism, said driving connection being normally out of gear, and means actuated by the barrel. during counter recoil to throw the driving connection into gear,

7. In anautomatic gun, the combination of a drive shaft carrying a fly-wheel and operated directly by the discharge of the gun, loading: mechanism, a counter-shaft interposed between the drive shaft and loading, mechanism andnormally out of gear with the drive shaft, and means actuated by the discharge to throw the sameinto gear.

8. In. an automatic gun, the combination, of a discharge-driven element, a drive shaft carrying; afly wheel, a counter shaft driven by, the dni ze shaft, means. actuated. by the counter-shaft for loading the gun, the drive shaft andcounter shaftbeing normally out of:gear, and means to connect up the drive shaft anithe countershaft after the former is set in motion by the discharge.

9. The combination of a reciprocating-gun. barrel, a driving shaft rotated by the gun barrel, a counter shaft intermittently rotated by the. drivin shaft, loading mechamsm actuated by t ecounter shaft, and

means wherebythe gun barrel will impart an initial movement to the counter shaft and throw the Same in. mesh with the driving shaft- 10. .In an automaticgun, the combination, with-'a reciprocatory discharge-driven element, ofa; loading mechanism, and a driving connection between the said element and the loading mechanism, said connection including a'yieldingly mounted pinionand a. rack engaging said pinion.

11. In, an automatic gun, the combination, with-a power storingdevice driven by -element driven by the the. discharge and comprising a yielding membenthrough which power is transmitted, a loading mechanism, a driving connection between the power storing device and.

the loading mechanism, said driving connections being normally disconnected, and means operated by the discharge and arranged to connect up said driving connection.

12. The combination of areciprocating gun barrel, a driving shaft, loading mechanism operated fromthe said shaft, and gearing connecting thegun barrel and the driving shaft, part of said gearing being yieldingly supported.

13. The combination of a reciprocatory gunbarrel having a longitudinal rack bar on its side, a driving shaft disposed vertically at the side of the gun, a pinion on the driving shaft meshing with the'said rack bar, and yieldable connections between the said pinion and the shaft.

14. The combination of a reciprocatory gun'barrel, a driving shaft at the side of the gun barrel, a rack bar on the gun barrel, a pinion on the shaft meshing with the rack bar, ratchet teeth rigid with the shaft, disks mounted on the shaft and carrying pawls in engagement with the ratchet teeth, and

. yieldable connections between the pinion and the said disks.

15. In an automatic gun, a reciprocatory element driven by the discharge, and comprising a rack, a shaft, a pinion loosely mounted on the shaft in mesh with the rack,

a spring secured atone end to the pinionand at the other end having a ratchet and pawlconnection with the shaft.

16. In an automatic gun, a reciprocatory element driven by the discharge, and comprising a rack, a shaft, a pinion loosely mounted on the shaft in mesh w1th the rack, a pair of disks arranged one on each side of the pinion in ratchet and pawl connection with the shaft, and; a spring connect- Lingeach of the disksv with the piniona In an' automatic a reciprocatory l iharge, and .comprising a rack, a shaft, a pinion loosely mounted on the shaft in meshwith the rack, av pair. of disks arrangedone on each side of the pinion in ratchet and pawl connection with the shaft, a spring connecting each of the disks with the pinion, loading mechanism, a counter-shaft operatively connected to the loading mechanism, an intermittent driving connection between the two shafts, and a lever arranged to be actuated by the movement of the reciprocatory member to impart initial motion to the countershaft.

18. The combination. of a reciprocatory gun barrel, a driving shaft operated thereby, a pinion fixed on said shaft, a counter shaft, 3. mutilated, gear wheel fixed on the counter shaft; in the plane of the pinion on moving the counter'shaft to carry the mutiw the driving shaft, and means for initially lated portion of the gear wheel past the pinion and cause the pinion and gear wheel to mesh. I a a 1 9. The combination .of a moving toothed gear-element, a normally stationary toothed gear-element, one of the teeth of the sta-. tionary gear-element being normally held in operativeposition'and arranged to yield radially, and means to bring the yielding member of the stationary element first into 'contact with the moving element as the cent the mutilated, portion arranged to yield inwardly, the two pinions so mounted contiguous to each other that the teeth of the driving pinion revolve freely in the blank space of the mutilated-pinion, and;

means to rotate the mutilated pinion to bring its yielding tooth into mesh with the other inion.

22. he combination of a reciprocatory gun barrel, a driving shaft operated thereby, a pinion fixed on said shaft, a counter shaft, a mutilated gear wheel fixed on the counter shaft in the plane of the pinion on the driving shaft, a radially yieldable tooth on said gear wheel at one end of the muti- -lated portion, and means for initially moving the counter shaft to bring the pinion and gear wheel in mesh.

23. In an automatic gun, the combination, of a shaft driven by the recoil of the gun, a power-storing device carried by the shaft, a counter shaft normally out of gear with the first shaft, and a lever arranged to be operated by the moving parts-of the gun upon discharge to connect up the shaft and the counter shaft.

24. In an' automatic gun, the combination, of a reciprocatory barrel, a drive shaft arranged to be driven thereby, a countershaft arranged to be intermittently driven by the drive-shaft,- a lever arranged to be actuated by the movement of the barrel to impart motion to the counter-shaft.

25. In an automatic gun, the combination, of a reciprocatory barrel, a drive shaft arranged to be driven thereby, a power-storing device connected to the shaft, a countershaft arranged to be intermittently driven by the drive shaft, and a lever arranged to be actuated by themovement of the barrel to impart motion to the counter-shaft.

26. In an automatic gun, the combination, of areciprocatory barrel, a drive shaft arranged to be driven thereby, a fly-wheel on said. shaft, a counter-shafha mutilated gear connecting the two shafts and normally out of mesh, and a lever arranged tobe actuated by the movement of the barrel to impart motion to the counter-shaft to bring the gear into mesh with the drive shaft.

27. The combination of a reciprocatory gun barrel having a projection on its side, a driving shaftoperated by the gun barrel, a counter shaft having a lateral projection, means for intermittently rotating the counter shaft from the driving shaft, and a lever arranged between the gun and the counter shaft and having one end in the path of the projection on the barrel and-the other end arranged to impinge against the projection on the shaft.

28. The combination of a reciprocatory gun barrel, a feeding-drum disposed parallel with the barrel, a shaft arranged at the side of the barrel and adjacent the end of the feeding drum and provided with an annularly disposed cam, pins projecting longitudinally from the end of the feeding drum and engaging said cam, and means actuated by the gun barrel for rotating the said shaft. l

29. The combination of a reciprocatory gun barrel, a loading table movable. to and r from the barrel, and means actuated by the gun barrel for operating the loadin table,

vsaid means comprising a driving s aft, a

counter-shaft operatively connected to the loading mechanism, and an intermittent driving connection between the two shafts.

30. The combination of a reciprocatory gun barrel, a loadin table movable to and from the barrel, a ceding drum arranged to deposit'a cartridge on the loading table, and means actuated by the gun barrel for operating the feeding drum and the loading table, said means comprising a driving shaft, a counter-shaft operatively connected to the loading mechanism, and an intermittent drivin connection between the two shafts.

'31. he combination of a reciprocatory gun barrel, a loading table movable to and from the gun barrel, a. feeding drum arranged to deposit a cartridge on the loading table, a. rammer arranged to push the cartridge from the loading table into the gun barrel, and means actuated by the gun barnism, and an intermittent driving connection between'the two shafts.

32. The combination of a reciprocatory gun barrel, a loading table mounted to move determinate "drivenby t 'nected to thera'mmer, a 'pushbar to and from the "bum, a dri'v'iiig' 'sha'ft rotated 'by the gun barreha counter-shaft intermittentl driven by the driving shaft, and a lever riven from said counter shaft and connected with the loading table.

33. The combination of a reciprocatory gun barrel, a loading table, a driving shaft rotated-by the gun barrel a counter-shaft intermittently driven by the driving shaft and provided with a crank arm, a cam engaged'by said crank arm, and a lever extending from said cam and connected to the loadin table. V 34. he combination of a reciprocatory gun barrel, a ra'mmer, a driving shaft rotated -from the gun barrel a counter-shaft intermittently driven by the driving shaft and-connections between said counter shaft and the rammer whereby the rammer will be moved bodily laterally and reciprocated longitudinally.

35. The combination -of a reciprocatory g'un b'arrel,'-a rammer, a driving shaft rotated from the'g'un barrel, a counter-shaft intermittently'driven by""the driving shaft, a vibratory le'ver' actuatedby the 88.1(1 counter shaft, and a 'slidably mounted rod operated iby'saidlever and connected to the rammer.

36. The combination of a rec'procatory gun barrel, a rami'ner, a driving shaft rotated from the .gun barrel a counter-shaft be driving shaft and "rbvi'd" with-germ; arm, a ram en- 'g'a'g by-=said'crank ar and vibratory lever iconnections between the cam and'the rammer.

37. The {combination of; a reciprocat'ory gun barrel, a -raminer, asha'ft rotated'fr'om the" barrel, 'a's'wiveled sleeve, a rod slida l y l {mounted in said sleeveand conhavih a pivotal connection-with 'the'slidable r a guide for said 'push bar, and'operating .connections' between the shaft a'nd'the push bar. 38. The combination "of a reciprocatory LEW? the gun barrel and provided 1 with .a crv'mk arm, a slidable rod connected to the ran'imer, a rotatablesupport for said rod, acam eli-v gaged by the crank, arm 'on the shaft, a vibratory lever, and links connecting said lever with the cam and with the slidable rod.

39. In an automatic gun, the combination,

,of a reciprocatory element, a driving shaft arranged to be actuated by the reclprocatory element, a counter-shaftintermittently driven by the driving shaft one complete revolution at each discharge of the gun, and an ammunition feed drum containing a plurality of loads and arranged to be rotated to the extent of one load 'forea'ch complete revolution of the countereshaft.

&0. In an automatic gun, the combination, of a reciprocatory element, a driving shaft arranged to be actuated by 'the reciprocatory element, a counter-shaft intermittently driven by the drivin shaft one complete revolution at each disc arge of the gun, and an ammunition feed drum containing a plurality of loads arid provided with concentri'cally'arranged pins o'ne for'each load, a s'plit'ring arranged on the counter-shaft as an annulus except at oneside of the shaft where it is split and the two ends are deflected and lie parallelas a spiral, wherebyduring the greater period of one rotation of the 'dou'nter-shaft two adjacent pins of the'feed driim'ridebn'o pposite sides of the annulus and the drum is unaffected but at one period in such rotation the'pins are deflected 'by"the' spiral open ends of the ring andthe diu'm' is rotated'to the extent of *one'load.

In'te'stimony whereof I have hereunto amxed'my signature in the presence of two witnesses. 5 v

JHON THEOFANIDIS.

Witnesses:

iisrsiafrnvii M. Comma,

.GYS. Looxmn. 

